The mother of Santiago A. Cisneros III, shot to death by
Portland police on March 4, has filed a $100 million tort
claim against the city.

In the claim, Antoinette Cisernos—who was on the phone
with her son shortly before Cisneros began firing on officers Michele Boer and
Bradley J. Kula—says that Portland police have a history of excessive force.

Police, however, released tape and grand jury testimony that Cisneros opened
fire on Boer first as she pulled onto the roof of a parking garage at 600 NE
Grand Ave.

Boer says Cisneros “hunted” her as she tried to take cover. She and
Kula fired back, striking Cisneros eight times, including a fatal shot to his
jugular.

Cisneros' father and brother have said that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder due to his tours in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army.

Boer says in a audio tape released in April by the department that "all she could think was'that I was going to die.'"

Boer andKula drove to the top of the garage at about 10:45 pm—a place where Boer said she often goes to check emails and write reports between calls—when Cisneros drove up in a black BMW. As officers shined a light on his car, Cisneros walked to his trunk, grabbed a shotgun and began firing.

Kula, also crouched behind his police cruiser, fired what appear to be dozens of bullets, eight of which hit Cisneros, mostly in the lower torso. Cisneros, 32, died at 11:20 pm at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital. Neither officer was injured; both are still on paid administrative leave.

Antoinette Cisneros, who filed the tort claim Sept. 3, did not return calls or emails for comment.
Portland police say they don’t comment on pending litigation.